Idea to Ink 4G ICR Deal With Vodafone Soon, Says VoLTE Coming Soon

Idea Cellular, the Aditya Birla Group-led service provider is expecting to soon close the new 4G ICR arrangements with Vodafone India for an additional 4G coverage in nearly 5,000 new towns and neighboring villages for each telco, having already entered into an active Infrastructure sharing arrangement with Vodafone to avoid duplication of spends and make the best use of capital expenditure (capex).

“Both telcos have now started to enjoy expanded coverage from such shared sites,” Idea said, adding that it is on course to introduce its own VoLTE – ‘Voice over LTE’ by early calendar year 2018.

The telco also said that it will deploy 2300 MHz or 2500 MHz spectrum band in many of its leadership markets during the current financial year, which will further boost Idea’s 4G capacity in these key markets. “As 4G adoption rate is ahead of initial company estimates primarily driven by affordable smartphones, expanding 4G coverage and world’s lowest ‘voice and mobile broadband tariffs’, almost all of Idea’s incremental network capital investments is allocated to 4G expansion (including fiber and capacity),” the telco said.

The 4G population under Idea’s coverage has nearly tripled from 14.8% (~170 million) in the second quarter last year to 38.1% (~450 million), reflecting Idea’s aggressive intent to participate in emerging 4G consumer market.

Idea has also increased its fibre backbone network by more than 50,000 kms (100,400 km in Q2FY16 to 150,500 km in the second quarter to support the burgeoning demand of mobile broadband services.

On overall terms, Idea’s gross investment in fixed assets has now risen to over Rs 1222 million, a net addition of Rs. 486 billion (capex + spectrum) during the last 24 months. The capex spend for the current quarter was Rs. 19.7 billion.

Idea Cellular on Monday said that it has multiplied its broadband sites by 3.4 times in last two years and the overall broadband sites now stands at 133,685, higher than the unique 2G sites built over a span of last 21 years. Over the period of last two years, Idea has aggressively expanded its mobile broadband infrastructure and added 93,818 broadband (3G+4G)sites.

Idea’s wireless broadband network (3G+4G) population under coverage now exceeds 568 million Indians (46.9% of Indian population) across 22 service areas spread over 121,446 towns and villages.

As 4G adoption rate is ahead of initial company estimates primarily driven by affordable smartphones, expanding 4G coverage and world’s lowest ‘voice and mobile broadband tariffs’, almost all of Idea’s incremental network capital investments is allocated to 4G expansion (including fibre and capacity).

It means our phone can latch on vodafone 4G network if there is no idea 4G signal.. ??

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Wego

So in Mumbai will Idea/Vodafone enjoy double the coverage now?

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Kaushik

Let’s hope. The voda idea special SIM I have does not support 4G but 3G coverage is damn near everywhere so I expect the same from the 4G ICR.

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Nikhil

On what band Vodafone have 4G in Mumbai(for that matter everywhere) !!It’s not that good in my honest opinion!!!!

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Kaushik

1800 I think

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Nikhil

So in Mumbai for 4G Vodafone won’t be that great right? Both Idea-Vodafone users will use same network and it will choke up!!!!! As very less smartphones support band 1 of Idea in Mumbai!!!!!

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Nikhil

2500Mhz is not active anywhere I guess!!!!!

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Kaushik

Some guys have posted screenshots on TT which shows Vodafone deploying 2500 MHz in WB I think. But not sure, I haven’t seen it anywhere tbh.

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Sumam (Barasat)

Band 41 active in some parts of kolkata circle

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Ansar Shaikh

There is No Special SIM , dont fool us. If you have please share Picture of that SIM

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Kaushik

It looks like any other Vodafone SIM. It just happens to also latch on to IDEA network. In a few days I’ll show screenshots of Vodafone running on Idea network (generally carrier name displays as Vodafone but it’s idea network, sometimes I will see IDEA MP as the carrier name but not always).